Stephan: John Alexander is one of the few people, and I am also one of them, who see the similarities between Trumpers, particularly the Proud Boys and the Bugaloo group, and Islamic extremists like the Taliban. I am surprised how infrequently this is mentioned by journalists since it is so obvious. Alexander lays it out.
Taliban
Proud Boys Credit: BBC
For years, many Western observers have wondered about how ISIS, and other fundamentalist Islamic organizations, have been able to radicalize so many followers. In reality, the techniques involved are very similar to those used in the establishment of Trump’s base of supporters. In 2016, his election was enabled because there was a large segment of the people who felt disenfranchised by the establishment candidates in both the Democratic and Republican parties. Trump was able to capitalize on this perceived marginalization, and largely because of the electoral college system, surprisingly won the election.
What has been established further since Trump took office, is his inordinate leaning towards authoritarianism as a preferred form of governance. His admiration of various totalitarian leaders such as Putin in Russia, Xi in China, Erdogan in Turkey, and especially Kim Jong Un in North Korea is well known. Trump has even mused about being anointed as president for life, as has occurred in several […]
Stephan: The Senate just overruled Trump's veto for the first time in his time as president, voting for hundreds of billions of dollars for the military budget. America spends more on its military than the next 15 nations in order of their budget combined. One thing is clear it is making the military-industrial corporations enormously wealthy. But what do we really get for that. You may be surprised.
A new U.S. government report warns over the last nine years, few of the Pentagon’s aircraft were ready at least 80 percent of the time.
Only two out of 46 aircraft types were “mission capable” for the majority of the last nine years.
One bright spot? The Pentagon’s F-35 fleet, including Air Force F-35As, Marine Corps F-35Bs, and Navy F-35Cs, are generally improving in mission availability.
A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office slams the readiness rate of U.S. military warplanes, revealing that hardly any of them were able to maintain a consistently high level of “mission capable” aircraft over the last nine years.
The F-22 Raptor fleet was 80 percent mission capable zero out of nine years.KARIM SAHIBGETTY IMAGES
The report graded the 46 aircraft types on their ability to maintain a mission-capable level of at least 80 percent—that is, the ability of each type to have at least 80 percent of its aircraft capable of performing at least one of its assigned missions. For example, the F-22 Raptor […]
Stephan: Kristi Noem is an attractive woman, but as a governor, she is yet another Republican incompetent. The state only has a population of 899,174, which is less than the population of the 13 largest cities in the country, but it has had 99,164 individuals come down with Covid-19 -- 11 percent of its population -- and 1,488 have died so far from the coronavirus. Why? Perhaps because Noem has blocked all attempts to create a statewide mask mandate, or to establish a policy of proper social distancing. She is just another Republican hack, and another proof that Republican governance is always inferior to Democratic governance. You have to wonder what the people of South Dakota were thinking when they voted her into office, because at the end of the day, it is the voters who bear responsibility for this grotesque healthcare failure.
Another Republican incompetent Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota Credit: RNC screenshot
On Friday, The Daily Beast reported that a federal judge in South Dakota slammed Republican Gov. Kristi Noem in an order directing a state court to stop delaying a defendant’s trial.
The state court had argued the trial needed to be put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But Judge Charles Kornmann pointed out that the state’s pandemic response has been far too incompetent and disengaged for them to use it as an excuse to deprive people of their Sixth Amendment right to a speedy and public trial.
“South Dakota has done little, if anything, to curtail the spread of the virus,” wrote Kornmann, adding of Noem specifically, “Her example significantly encourages South Dakotans to not wear masks … South Dakota is now a very dangerous place in which to live due to the spread of COVID-19.”
Noem has proudly boasted that her state will not infringe on residents’ liberty with public health restrictions, even as her state reports over 500 new cases a […]
Stephan: Today's SR, written on the last day of 2020, is very grim. I have done this deliberately because I think facing reality accurately is important if you want to change it. No one is going to change America but the American people.
How can we create a change fostering wellbeing? In 2021 it will be up to each of us to always choose to foster compassionate life-affirming wellbeing with every choice we make. The question is: Are we up to the task, willing to take it on? I wish each of you the very best for a Happy New Year, and ask you to join me in making a personal commitment to be an agent for change promoting wellbeing.
-- Stephan
Jake Tapper, Anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent - CNN
Stephan: I don't know how much clearer the Republican Party could make it that they care nothing for democracy. You cannot be a Republican and an ethical person. Sorry, but that is the truth.
Republican Senator Josh Haley of Missouri and his mentor. Credit: Yahoo News
Two Republican members of the House of Representatives tell CNN that they expect at least 140 of their GOP colleagues in the House to vote against counting the electoral votes on January 6 when Congress is expected to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. President Donald Trump’s Republican allies have virtually zero chance of changing the result, only to delay by a few hours the inevitable affirmation of Biden as the Electoral College winner and the next president. There have been no credible allegations of any issues with voting that would have impacted the election, as affirmed by dozens of judges, governors, election officials, the Electoral College, the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the US Supreme Court. But Trump is determined to claim he didn’t lose — which he did, significantly — and many GOP politicians either share his delusion or fear provoking his wrath — even if that means voting to undermine democracy. Both a House member and senator are required to mount an […]
